Today’s passage is lengthy passage but worth the time to read. April 28, 2030

“Now Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and made war against it. Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad: ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your loveliest wives and children are mine.’ ” And the king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.” Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus speaks Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘Indeed I have sent to you, saying, “You shall deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children”; but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hands and take it. ’

” So the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Notice, please, and see how this man seeks trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold; and I did not deny him.” And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.” Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ” And the messengers departed and brought back word to him. Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people who follow me.” So the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off. ”

And it happened when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were drinking at the command post, that he said to his servants, “Get ready.” And they got ready to attack the city. Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’ ” So Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘By the young leaders of the provinces.’ ” Then he said, “Who will set the battle in order?” And he answered, “You.” Then he mustered the young leaders of the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he mustered all the people, all the children of Israel—seven thousand. So they went out at noon. Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings helping him were getting drunk at the command post. The young leaders of the provinces went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out a patrol, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out of Samaria!” So he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; and if they have come out for war, take them alive.” Then these young leaders of the provinces went out of the city with the army which followed them. And each one killed his man; so the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the cavalry. Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter. And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, for in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”

Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they. So do this thing: Dismiss the kings, each from his position, and put captains in their places; and you shall muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain; surely we will be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so.” 

I Kings 20:1-25 NKJV

God works in mysterious ways, but the ways that He works are always for this end: His own glory! God has revealed Himself to all men, but we have suppressed the truth of God in unrighteousness. So God reveals Himself to us over and over that we might know that He is the Lord. In Exodus 6 Moses told the Israelites how God would deliver them and what God would do to the Egyptians. “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians” (Exodus 6:7).

In I Kings 20:1-25, we learn that Ahab was being bullied by Ben-Hadad king of Syria. Ahab was willing to give mighty Ben-Hadad almost everything he had to avoid war, but even Ahab could only be pushed so far (vs. 7 & 8). Ben-Hadad used Ahab’s refusals of his demands to declare war on Israel and gathered thirty-two kings together to destroy Samaria.

With the great host gathered against Ahab, preparing to attack the city that very day, two things took place. First, Ben-Hadad and his kings were so confident of victory they were getting drunk rather than preparing for battle (vs. 12, 16). Second, a prophet of the Lord came to Ahab with news.

Building on the revelation of the Lord at Mt. Carmel, the prophet told Ahab that the Lord would deliver the Syrians into the hand of Ahab that very day. Why? So that Ahab would know that Jehovah was the Lord (vs. 13). The Lord extended His kindness to wayward Israel yet further. He had sent rain for Israel’s sustenance and would give military victory over their enemies.

232 princes of Israel led 7,000 soldiers out against Ben-Hadad and his mighty host.* When they engaged with Syria, each of the 7,232 soldiers of Israel killed the first Syrian they encountered. This initial momentum, coupled with all of the kings being drunk and unable to coherently command, led to an immediate rout of the Syrian army. Ahab then engaged in the assault by attacking the cavalry of Syria resulting in a very great victory over the Syrian army (vs. 21).

Idolaters cannot understand the cause for their own defeat, for darkness has blinded their eyes. Ben-Hadad’s servants presented this analysis of the battle: The Israelites’ gods were gods of the hills so they won fighting in the hills near Samaria. If a battle could be fought in the plains, surely the gods of Israel would be of no benefit and Syria would win. This madness made sense to Ben-Hadad, who made preparations for the second battle with Ahab, which would be far worse than the first.

Why does God tell us over and over that He alone is Lord? Why is this whole series of devotionals titled from I Kings 18, “The Lord, He is God”? Because like the Israelites in Egypt and Ahab in Israel, so we are quick to forget it. We are very tempted to see the glory of God revealed, stiffen our necks and harden our hearts, and forget that He is God. So we need to be reminded over and over. 

Let us learn from this passage the immeasurable grace and mercy of the Lord who not only reveals Himself to us as the Lord but also enables us to embrace Jesus Christ by faith.

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*Some have speculated that the 7,000 mentioned here must be the 7,000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal. While the numbers are the same, that is where the overlap ends. Scripture does not suggest that the 232 princes were leading the believers in Israel into battle. The princes simply led 7,000 soldiers into battle against the Syrians.

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